Government workers in Philippines municipality get benefits on Valentine's Day

But there is one condition …

BY Dexter Tilo 08 Feb 2022

Get a paid leave or take a double pay — these are the options of government workers in the municipality of General Luna in the Philippines on Valentine's Day.

General Luna Mayor Matt Florido announced this early this month, where he said government employees on February 14 will receive twice their daily salary on the special day. However, if they want to spend their day alone, they may also avail a paid leave.

But there is one condition to be qualified for either benefit: they have to be single.

According to Florido, eligible workers will need to register their names to the Municipal Human Resource Office, detailing how long they have been single or why they are single.

The mayor said that his office has the right to verify if those who registered are really single on February 14, stressing that those who are in a relationship should not take advantage of the programme.

"Again, lying is forbidden," Florido said in Filipino.

He said the cash benefits for the covered workers of the programme will be deducted from his salary on February 15.

According to the mayor, there were 43 single government employees last year, and he is hoping that there would be less than that number this year.

Valentine's Day in the workplace

Double pay and paid leave are just some of the things that employers could do for their employees on Valentine's Day. Will Elliott, Reward Gateway's experience manager, said in a blog for the employee engagement platform provider that Valentine's Day is the perfect opportunity to show love to staff.

Here are some suggestions for HR on the special day, according to Elliott:

Declare a dress-in-red day. Encourage employees to wear red and get everyone in the "loving" spirit.
Office decorating contest. Cover up the office with hearts and lights to make the workplace bright and inviting.
Share a note of thanks. Express your gratitude to employees by giving them a physical item for acknowledgement.
Host a team lunch. Order cater food, plan a buffet, or maybe even host a Zoom lunch with staff on the special day.
Fondue fun. To make it more in line with the occasion, get some chocolates and other treats to let employees feel sweetness and love in the air on Valentine's Day.
Get social. Recognise employees on social media on Valentine's Day.
Think outside of the (chocolate box). In celebration of the love holiday, employers could also pick a charity to donate to show a little love to them.
Keep the love going strong. Even after the occasion, employers should find a way to keep the love for staff going to keep them motivated and engaged in the workplace.

Of course, not all of these suggestions can be applied with COVID-19 happening. Still, this shouldn't stop employers from expressing their love and gratitude to workers and make them feel special on Valentine’s Day.